Mark Winkler is building up a catalogue of not only impressive songs, but of equally enduring albums. This latest, produced by Barbara Brighton, mixes and matches local cats like John Beasley/p-arr, Bob Sheppard/reeds, Grant Geissman/g, Clayto Cameron-Dan Schnelle/drd, Babe Davis-Dan Lutz/b, Danny Kanklow/wwinds and Brian Swartz among others.
Winkler is adept at putting new ideas into standards, with a troubadour’d feel of Paul Simon’s “Something So Right” to a dark and yet hip feel to The Beatles’ “Got To Get You Into My Life”, even adding a chicka-boom feel along with Errol Rhoden’s tuba to “Mama Told Me Not To Come”. His own material is what always wins me over, however, and his California Cool “ Jazz Swings” is vintage Winkler, clever and calm. He’s jaunty and fun on “In Love With New Your” and shuffles with aplomb for “ The Joy Of Singing”, telling a rich story on “If These Walls Could Talk (They’d Sing)”. No one gives a tribute to jazz itself better than Winkler; he makes you glad you love this stuff.